This weekend I finally got to pedal to Belton House parkrun, four weeks after I had originally planned to and Covid thwarted my plans!
I had a few exciting jobs to do before I could set off on Friday. As well as getting a load of laundry washed and hung out, I also needed to contact Dunelm about a lamp that had arrived without the…lamp. It was just a wooden stand with no light fitting on it! The online live chat process was just as frustrating as you can imagine, but the outcome was satisfactory.
After such a glamorous morning, I was ready to hit the road by about 10.45am.
Pedal to Grantham
I couldn’t really have wished for better weather. After a week of classic April showers and below average temperatures, the sun was most definitely shining and it was warm…but not too warm. Perfect!
I headed out along the Beeston Canal. Just after I left the canal, I had to take a dicey walk on the road around because a tractor with a trailer full of manure was blocking the cycle path. I didn’t want to risk a puncture this early on by traipsing through the brambles on the other side!
I headed along Nottingham’s Victoria Embankment, over the Wilford Suspension Bridge and through West Bridgford. It was surprisingly quiet for the school holidays.
Just outside town I joined the Grantham Canal, which I followed for the next 15 miles or so. I’ve run along part of this canal before, but never followed it quite so far.
The canal was opened in 1797, originally running from the River Trent in Nottingham to Grantham as a cheap way of transporting coal. It closed to boating in 1929, after the railway opened, and now has very shallow parts and parts with no water at all. The Grantham Canal Society are working with Canal and River Trust to restore it over a period of 10 years.
The birds were all busy building their nests – I saw coots and swans with bills full of reeds and plenty of swans that looked like they were sitting on eggs.
I stopped on a convenient bench for a quick snack where the canal runs through the bottom of Cotgrave Country Park.
At the point where the canal skirts Kinoulton, I stopped to have a look at a memorial to the 211 men from Sherwood Foresters 9th Battalion who had died at the Somme. I’m not sure what we’ve learnt in the last 100 years – war may look a bit different now but it’s certainly no less tragic. The avenue of trees from the canal to the village was originally planted in honour of the men by a local man, Sir William Hind, whose son was one of the fallen. In 1998 the original trees were felled as they had reached over 90ft and were deemed a safety hazard. The local council has since funded the planting of new saplings along the route, which seem to have grown quite a lot already.
Next stop was Hickling, and I took full advantage of the lovely café next to Hickling Basin. I’d discovered by now that there was something wrong with my trusty old National Trust water bottle, which had been a free gift from a night-time running event at Clumber Park many years ago. The water tasted pretty gross and I don’t know whether the bottle has just degraded or is full of mold…it’s black inside so very hard to see. Anyway, it meant I was drinking much less so I treated myself to both a cold drink and a cup of tea to go with my panini!
Just after I set off again, I came across a hut which is being restored by the Canal and River Trust. The Hickling Lengthman’s Hut was built to provide a place for the men who maintained the canal to rest. They’ve restored some of the original timbers and a fireplace (with lots of signs warning people not to light fires in it!) and they’re looking for volunteers to help with further stages of the project.
It wasn’t long before I came across a bit of an obstacle. There was a bridge which I think must have been lowered to allow the road to go over it. I had a quick scout around to see if there was a path round the top but I couldn’t see anything, so there was nothing for it but to go underneath! I managed to wheel my bike at an angle, stooping to avoid hitting my head. I was a bit worried the bike, laden with its heavy bags, would slip out and into the canal but we emerged out the other side unscathed!
The rest of the canal was pretty uneventful, and I joined the road just before Harby after which the tow path disappears for a while. After so much flat riding, the hills that came next were a bit of a shock to the system!
I’m not sure exactly how much my bags weighed but they were heavy (I probably should have left that umbrella at home!) and this bike doesn’t have the low gears I enjoy on my usual touring bike. The first hill was on the road and although I struggled a bit, I made it. Next was an off-road section that went up and up and up. It suddenly got incredibly steep and I had to admit defeat and get off and push. This doesn’t come naturally to me, as I enjoy hills when I’m road riding with minimal gear, but I’m trying to cut myself some slack – I set my own rules for this challenge!
I was very pleased to get back onto tarmac again! I carried on through a few more villages and stopped for a snack on a bench by a roadside graveyard. There was a pheasant hiding out amongst the gravestones and he didn’t seem very happy to see me.
The last part of the route took me back onto our old friend, the Grantham Canal, as the tow path restarts again at Woolsthorpe By Belvoir. I followed it all the way to the outskirts of Grantham where it ends.
My accommodation was in a suburb just north of the town centre, and I managed to make my way through Grantham without any issues. I’m not really a fan of town riding, but there were plenty of cycle lanes and there was only one short section where I had to ride on a busy road with multiple lanes of traffic. Then I picked up the “Riverside Walk & Cycleway” – a lovely route along the River Witham that took me almost all the way to my AirBnB. I passed through a number of pretty parks, and a sign for the Ancient Grantham Oak, which sadly I didn’t get chance to visit.
I felt a couple of spots of rain as I approached my accommodation, which was weird as none of the white fluffy clouds looked capable of producing any! I met my AirBnB host who kindly allowed me to leave my bike in the hallway overnight. The accommodation was absolutely perfect for what I needed. For £32 I had a double room with a private bathroom, less than 2 miles from Belton House. Oh, and not forgetting the superhero welcome! Get in touch if you’d like the details.
I’d cycled (and pushed!) a total of 40.8 miles and was feeling quite pleased with myself.
Exploring Grantham
After a quick shower and waiting for what seemed like forever for the videos from my camera to upload to my phone, I set out to explore Grantham on foot.
To be honest I didn’t have high hopes. Anyone I’d spoken to before the trip who had any previous experience of Grantham didn’t exactly sound full of enthusiasm for the town. So I was actually quite pleasantly surprised. It was starting to get a bit chillier, but it was still sunny and I think that probably helped as places always look nicer in the sunshine.
I took a route into town that took me past the birthplace of Margaret Thatcher. I walked straight past it at first as Google Maps gives it just down a side street, which it isn’t. There’s a small plaque above a shop that you’d have to be looking for or you’d never spot. Whatever you think of Mrs Thatcher (I’m not a fan), she was our first ever female prime minister and it does seem odd that so little is made of her being from Grantham. There is a plan to erect a statue in the town centre, but this has been very delayed for a couple of years now, partly due to fears of vandalism.
Next stop on my tour of Grantham was The King’s School, which Sir Isaac Newton attended from age 12 to 17 before heading off to Cambridge. The building I first came across looked like it was built in the 1960s so I’m not sure that was where he went, but there were some older buildings just a bit further on. There’s a statue of Newton in the town centre (next to the empty plinth intended for Margaret Thatcher) and various pubs and even a shopping centre named in his honour.
I passed through the Heritage Quarter and past St Wulfram’s Church. It’s a large and impressive building which has been there for around 1,000 years. In medieval times it became a pilgrimage site as people came to visit the shrine which contained a relic of St Wulfram. The shrine hasn’t been there since the Reformation but the church still receives visitors from all around the world to this day.
My final bit of history was the blue plaque commemorating Edith Smith, which is on the side of the Guildhall Arts Centre. Edith was the UK’s first female police officer with the full power of arrest. She was originally from Oxon but was sworn in in Grantham in 1915. Her appointment was controversial as the Home Office said that women could not be sworn in because they didn’t count as “proper persons” in the eyes of the law! However, it was felt she was needed to help sort out Grantham’s issue with prostitution which had arisen since 14,000 soldiers had been billeted in the town. Her work was also controversial amongst the feminists of the time, as she dealt with the problem by cautioning the young women involved and ensuring they were “black-listed” from local cinemas and theatres. She really was a fascinating character!
I decided that was enough sightseeing for one evening, and my belly was telling me it was time to find somewhere to eat. I walked past a few pubs that looked slightly terrifying and checked out the menu outside somewhere a friend had recommended, which was very much at the other end of the scale and didn’t look like the right place for me in my cycling trainers and pac-a-mac!
I settled on Fusion Buffet and was so glad I did! It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet with various different cuisines, as the name suggests. I mentioned to the waiter who showed me the system that I was a vegetarian and after loading up my plate with starter goodies, a waitress came over and said they could cook me a tofu curry! Whilst waiting for this I sampled a bit of stir-fry, and then when it came she asked if I wanted naan bread too. It would have been rude to say no! The desserts looked pretty tempting and they were only small…so I had two! The food and service were absolutely amazing, although I started to regret how much I’d eaten as I walked back to my accommodation nursing my food baby!
Belton House parkrun
Belton House parkrun was only 10 minutes’ ride away, so I didn’t need to get up at the crack of dawn. I left one pannier behind to collect later and set off along the cycle path next to the A607.
There was a very helpful parkrun volunteer on the gate, who suggested I lock my bike up near the finish line, which was a few hundred yards from the start. Another volunteer kindly took my photo by the purple sign and then I locked my bike up and had a closer look at the front of the house.
I visited the loo and then attended the first-timers’ briefing which warned of rabbit holes and an electric fence! After that I heard a voice calling my name and turned round to see a familiar face. Gwen is a member of the YesTribe East Midlands who I’ve met a couple of times, and who I once spent a lovely day cycling along the Water Railway with when she was the only person who turned up to the event I’d planned! It was nice to catch up briefly before it was time to run!
The course is a two-lapper and it isn’t completely flat, although the inclines are all gentle. It starts on a nice wide path, before turning onto the grass and looping back towards the house. It really is stunning and definitely one of the prettiest courses I’ve done so far. It was really dry but I imagine it can get muddy in winter. The aforementioned rabbit holes were all marked with little white plastic flags, which themselves could be a bit of a tripping hazard!
I was really feeling the miles in my legs and I found it pretty tough going. I finished 81st out of 239 in a time of 27:12. Just as I was approaching the finish a man caught up with me and yelled “Come on tourist, I’ll race you!” so I had to find a sprint from somewhere! It was my first time out wearing my new cow cowl and I guess he’d spotted it! Needless to say I didn’t win, although I doubt he had cycled 40 miles the day before even if he did have a good few years on me!
After I crossed the line a lady just behind me in the funnel asked me what time we’d done. I think she was a bit disappointed as she was aiming for sub-27. We chatted for a bit, and it turned out her son lives in Nottingham and she’s thinking of doing a parkrun next time she visits.
Belton House is owned by the National Trust and is definitely worth a visit, even if you’re not going to parkrun! It apparently has the Trust’s largest adventure playground. There are deer in the park, although unfortunately I didn’t spot any.
I got back on my bike and headed back to my AirBnB to use the loo, change my top, and collect my other bag.
The Pedal Home
I’d planned a slightly shorter route home, with much less time on the canal and all the rest of it on roads. I thought this would be easier. The wind had other ideas.
As soon as I left, I tried to change up to my large chainwheel and my chain promptly fell off. I managed to get it back on fairly easily but trying to prop the saddle of a bike laden with bags on your head whilst fiddling around with the chain wasn’t without its problems. In hindsight perhaps I should have found something to lean the bike against…
My route planning through Grantham wasn’t great this time around, and I had to avoid a one-way street and then push my bike through the Saturday market before making a break for the open road. By which I mean a long very straight road steadily uphill all the way to Barrowby.
From there I dropped down back onto the Grantham Canal for a few miles, where my next mechanical hiccup occurred. This time it wasn’t my bike.
In my Covid isolation I’d watched lots of YouTube review videos before buying myself an Insta360 camera to help me film my adventures. The camera is great and works really well for cycling, as I can attach it to the bike with a clamp and can switch it on and off very easily whilst riding.
To attach the clamp to the selfie stick requires a screw adapter so I’d bought a pack of them from Amazon. I was merrily cycling along, bumping over the stones on the tow path, when the stick and the camera suddenly went flying. My first thought was that the clamp had detached but when I looked down it was still there. Turns out the screw adapter had sheared off, leaving half of it still in the clamp and half in the base of the stick.
Thankfully the damage to the camera was minimal. It had ended up on the grass and neither of the two protruding lenses seemed damaged. There is some damage to the casing, which I think might mean it is no longer fully waterproof, but it definitely wasn’t as bad as I’d initially feared. The clamp is now essentially useless as I can’t get the screw out but I’m hoping with some pliers I can save the stick. But it meant no more filming on this trip.
I left the canal again at Woolsthorpe By Belvoir and the rest of the day was spent riding uphill into headwind, or at least that’s how it felt.
I passed close to Belvoir Castle, which also has a parkrun. I was already flagging by this point, so I was sad that the cycle-friendly café that used to be in the car park had recently closed down. There was some kind of horse riding event going on and there were loads of horses and horseboxes on the roads around the castle. Passing the horses involved going very slowly and giving them a wide berth so I was pleased that the other road users were also giving me plenty of space and time to get round!
I cycled through a couple of other villages before finding somewhere for a break. After hopping off my bike to take a photo of the Granby village sign, I just happened to look behind me. I’m very glad I did, as I spotted a pub with a small shop and coffee shop at the back, which I would have totally missed if I’d just kept riding. I sat in the sun and had a cup of tea and a bag of M&Ms. I also bought some Skittles in case I needed another pick-me-up later.
I trudged on – I’m not sure if you can technically trudge on a bike but that’s the best way to describe how it felt. I passed through Langar and spotted a few parachutists overhead. The rest of the route was fairly familiar to me as I used to ride out this way quite a bit. After leaving the countryside I rode back through West Bridgford and back home the way I’d come before. I had to dodge quite a few Nottingham Forest fans on the embankment this time – I think a match must have been just about to start.
Final Thoughts
I logged the route back as 35.5 miles, so that’s just over 76 miles in two days with a parkrun in the middle. It was enjoyable but hard work, particularly on the second day.
I haven’t cycled very much over the last year or so, as I’ve been a bit more focused on hiking, and my legs could definitely tell. I think I also tend to underestimate how long this type of cycling takes vs. road cycling with a snack in my back pocket and no other luggage.
I enjoyed sharing updates via my @pedaltoparkrun Instagram account. I know that some people feel like social media is a negative, but I quite like to know other people are coming along with me in some way, particularly when I’m traveling alone. It’s nice to receive messages too!
There are a few learnings for next time, but overall I’m pretty pleased with how it went and I’m looking forward to my next Pedal to parkrun adventure!
If you’d like the see the route maps or get more information on the routes, visit my Cycle Routes page.
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